'Supercharged' handsets could cause more people to sell mobile phones (11/03/2011 16:53:04)

A scientific discovery that could see handsets become "supercharged" may lead to more people looking for mobile phone recycling options.

Researchers at Illinois University have come across a way to make phones last for up to 100 times longer without needing to be charged.

The team behind the discovery believe that replacing the metal wiring in most mobiles and replacing it with nanotubes can lead to massively improved battery life.

Should the development become mainstream, it could lead to more people looking to sell mobile phones in order to replace them with a model that incorporates this technology.

"I think anyone who is dealing with a lot of chargers and plugging things in every night can relate to wanting a cell phone ... whose batteries can last for weeks or months," said project leader Eric Pop of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology.

The nanotubes would easily fit into a mobile phone, as they are said to be 10,000 times smaller than a human hair.

It may be the case that the finding has a major bearing on other portable gadgets, such as laptop computers.

"This is also important for anything that has to operate on a battery, such as satellites, telecommunications equipment in remote locations, or any number of scientific and military applications," Mr Pop added.

Although this could be the most groundbreaking development concerning the lifespan of mobile devices, the Illinois researchers are not the first people to attempt to make handsets last longer without charging.

Last year, Intel committed itself to producing a gadget that could work for ten days between charges, Mobile Choices reported.

Intel's Ultra Mobility Group senior vice-president Anand Chandrasekher said at the time that the firm was determined to "push the boundaries" to ensure that handheld devices could become as powerful as possible.